I’m pretty sure this motivational poster is pretty appropriate just about now:

And the critics agree. Earning an astounding 94 percent Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes — or 64 positive reviews out of 68 — the J.J. Abrams-helmed reboot of the Star Trek franchise has been getting some critical acclaim for its fast-paced, continuity-shattering take on James Tiberius Kirk’s ascendancy to the Captain’s chair. Here’s some of the highlights from these positive reviews:

For the first time in 15 years, Star Trek actually matters.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star

This Star Trek essentially turns out to be a war film, with the occasional philosophical timeout to discuss love, friendship, and duty until the next bone-crunching fistfight or multi-weapon rumble with the Romulans.
Bill Weber, Slant Magazine

Trading on affections sustained over 40 years of popular culture, Star Trek does what a franchise reboot rarely does. It reminds us why we loved these characters in the first place.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Yes, it’s a popcorn flick–and a first-rate one at that–but it also grants these figures a freshness they haven’t possessed in a long time.
Rob Vaux, Mania.com

If you care about this universe (and I do, damn it), you won’t sit passively through J.J. Abrams’s restart Trek. You’ll marvel at the smarts and wince at the senselessness. You’ll nitpick it to death and thrill to it anyway.
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

UPDATE: The Onion‘s review was also pretty good, too. And by good I mean backhanded and funny.

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As ‘Fun, Watchable’

Yet, there have been a few dissenters in the ranks — most notably that grand poo-bah of reviewers, Roger Ebert, who found the film fun (with 2.5 stars) but also found its pseudo-science a bit off:

I understand the Star Trek science has never been intended as plausible. I understand this is not science fiction but an Ark movie using a starship. I understand that the character types are as familiar as your favorite slippers. But the franchise has become much of a muchness. The new movie essentially intends to reboot the franchise with younger characters and carry on as before. The movie deals with narrative housekeeping. Perhaps the next one will engage these characters in a more challenging and devious story, one more about testing their personalities than re-establishing them. In the meantime, you want space opera, you got it.

I don’t know — I oftentimes find myself agreeing with Ebert, but my reviewer sense is still stinging a bit from his four-star Watchmen review (a film I was not particularly keen on myself). I’m pretty excited to see Chris Pine swagger his way through this film — and maybe through a Green Lantern film, if the speculation is true. What say you, Rama readers? Let us know what you think of the film!

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